MicroSAGE is highly representative and reproducible but reveals major differences in gene expression among samples obtained from similar tissues

Table 3 Expression pattern of genes that differ in age- and sex-matched peripheral retinal libraries

Tags that differ at p ≤ 0.005	Tags higher in 41-year-old	Tags higher in 44-year-old
Total	40	33
Known ganglion cell-enriched	0	1
Known rod-enriched	8	8
Higher in periphery	4	6
Higher in fovea	1	3

The table shows a breakdown of cell specificity (where known) of genes corresponding to all SAGE tags that differ at p ≤ 0.005 between the peripheral retina libraries from 44-year-old and 41-year-old individuals. In cases where cell specificity of the gene matching the tag is not known, the fact that the tag is enriched in peripheral retina or fovea (at p ≤ 0.005) is shown, based on previously published data [45].

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